European Union AI rules face trust test

Brussels, Oct. 7: AI agents going rogue and ever-louder doomsday warnings have led many in Europe to wonder: are the EU's artificial intelligence rules enough to protect against the potential dangers?

The European Union insists that, yes, its law known as the AI Act is powerful enough since it forces companies to assess and mitigate risks, under threat of massive fines or even bans. EU lawmakers, officials and experts appear more sceptical, pointing to gaps in the rules and questioning whether Brussels has the stomach for a fight with AI labs.

The EU agreed its sweeping AI legislation in 2024 but delayed part of its implementation, and enforcement has only been possible since August this year. Nonetheless, EU spokesman Thomas Regnier says the rules are "fully fit for purpose". "You can feel safe at home in Europe, precisely because we have put all these safeguards in place," he said.

So far the EU has sent over 30 requests for information -- a preliminary step that can lead to investigations -- to companies on issues from copyright to cybersecurity and safety. Brussels says its rules are working since they have already forced AI providers to cough up information to regulators, though Regnier declined to give details.

There are, however, questions about Europe getting access to the latest models: it took months for the EU to test Anthropic's Mythos following US export control orders. Speaking on condition of anonymity, an EU official admitted such an issue could arise again.